Alice-Miranda in Paris 7 by Jacqueline Harvey Page B

be? She’s always wanted a brother or sister, and you know Hugh and I would have loved that too, but it wasn’t to be. Now she’s going to be like a mother hen to two little cousins at once. You know, between her and Mummy, they’ll have those babies sorted in no time.’
    ‘I hope Lucas is pleased too,’ Charlotte said.
    ‘Of course he will be.’ Cecelia nodded.
    ‘I just worry. He’s had a lot to deal with lately, finding out who his father is for a start, then a new stepmother and now two siblings in one go. It would be a lot for anyone to cope with.’
    ‘I think that young man’s far more resilient than anyone gives him credit for. I can’t imagine he’ll be anything other than thrilled,’ Cecelia said firmly.

‘Hello there, Master Sep,’ said Monsieur Crabbe. Sep was standing beside Lucas in the hotel foyer, waiting for the rest of the children to join them for their outing to the park.
    Madame Crabbe popped her head up over the reception desk. ‘
Bonjour
, Sep.’ Her eyes fixed on Lucas. ‘Oh! And you must be Lawrence Ridley’s boy. So handsome, just like your father.’
    Lucas’s ears turned pink. It was fun having a movie star for a father most of the time but some days it was downright embarrassing.
    ‘Did you see my picture?’ Madame Crabbe grabbed her framed photograph from the shelf behind her and made her way across the foyer. ‘Do you see who that is?’
    Lucas looked at the photograph of his father next to a beaming Madame Crabbe. He thought his dad looked a little embarrassed too.
    The lift bell rang and a group of children piled out.
    ‘Hey Alice-Miranda, come and say hello to Madame and Monsieur Crabbe,’ Sep called.
    The tiny child bounced over and Madame Crabbe thrust the picture towards her. ‘You must be the little girl whose aunt is married to this handsome man!’
    ‘Yes, my name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I’m very pleased to meet you, Madame Crabbe, Monsieur Crabbe.’ She reached out to shake Madame’s hand and then smiled at the man who was still standing behind the reception desk.
    ‘Aren’t you just as cute as a button?’ The woman grabbed Alice-Miranda’s cheek and gave it a squeeze. ‘So your aunt is married to my love.’
    Alice-Miranda giggled at the picture. ‘Yes, I’m afraid so. But I suspect you’re not the only woman in the world who’s disappointed about that.’
    ‘She is crazy.’ Monsieur Crabbe put his hands either side of his head and rolled his forefingers. ‘As if a man like him would ever be interested in an old woman like her.’
    ‘Oh!’ Madame Crabbe inhaled sharply. She turned and pulled a face at her husband. ‘You are so mean. Why shouldn’t I be married to a handsome man?’ she asked.
    ‘But my darling, you are,’ he raised his eyebrows up and down and blew her a kiss.
    The children laughed. They hadn’t realised there would be entertainment before their outing to the park.
    Madame Crabbe ignored her husband and looked at Alice-Miranda and Lucas. ‘May I have a picture with you two?’
    ‘Sure,’ they agreed.
    While Madame Crabbe fussed about having the photo taken, Mr Plumpton and Miss Reedy had joined the children in the foyer and begun a head count. Susannah and Ashima had begged off the walk, complaining of headaches, so there were eighteen children in all.
    ‘Where’s Mr Lipp?’ Miss Reedy tapped the face of her watch. It was now almost quarter to five and they had planned to leave at least five minutes ago.
    Just as she spoke there was an audible gasp as several of the children spotted him. Harry Lipp bounded down the stairs dressed in what looked like an orange velour leisure suit. He had matching orange trainers and a headband in the same bright shade.
    ‘Good grief, what
is
he wearing?’ Miss Reedy whispered.
    ‘Looking good, Mr Lipp,’ Rufus Pemberley called. He walked over to high-five the teacher, who realised quite late what the lad was doing. He raised his hand just in time